2016/ Week 1

January 12, 2016 ·

Happy New Year everyone. Our weeks on holiday were filled with much needed rest, and it was so refreshing and good for the soul. I have a hard time with trying to be still, after a day of slowing down, I get real antsy and want to run around doing things here and there. I absolutely love being a wife, mother, and homemaker, but when is there ever a time when all the work is done. NEVER. However, I am learning, and I am finding much peace in the act of not having to do everything, all of the time. Our pastor talked about being vs. doing yesterday, which hit home with me all the way. It’s a bit ironic for me that I have the letters BE on our mantel, something Andy & I have chosen to represent our family and a symbol of what we want others to feel when they walk in our home… able to just be who they are, present with us, no matter what. It’s also a constant reminder to me of being, rather than the need to always be doing.

This year, like I’ve said in the past, I am working toward writing more here on this blog; a goal I set last Fall and am continually working on. When I do sit down to write, I love it. I walk away energized that I was able to share with those reading whatever is happening here, on my mind, etc. It’s the act of forcing myself to sit, pop open my computer and write that I am not quite as disciplined with… yet.

I’ll be doing something new for 2016, posting weekly updates, sharing whatever may have happened the prior week and hoping it sparks some joy, or a smile on your face. This past week was one of a slow start to school, lots of reading, continued rest (kids got to sleep in still…), a bunch of baking for ourselves and an event we did on Saturday, and kids cooking for us to boot! That was a treat for sure. The breadsticks you see up above were made entirely by Ezra, who has been learning the pizza dough techniques from Andy. He did them on his own, with no parents home and boy were we delighted, on his first attempt, to see such beautiful and eat such delicious breadsticks. He’s definitely got something going for him! From coloring in my new (read: love this so much!) book, to lots of candlelit mornings and evenings, to Andy’s coffee roaster breaking (temporarily, please!) and the need to cool beans in the frigid cold evening after roasting in our whirly pop (!!), to filling in a new planner with some recipes I’m anxious to try… it was a nice, somewhat drawn out, yet fulfilling first week of the year. Looking forward to getting back on schedule and into the regularities of life again! I hope you are all experiencing a wonderful start to this new and exciting year.